Life in the Freezer
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Movie Reviews of Life in the Freezer
Movie Review: Life in extreme icescapes
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the 4th entry in the David Attenborough Life series following The Trials of Life. The groundbreaking first series Life on Earth was based on evolution and started with bacteria making its way up to modern humans over the course of 13 episodes. The Living Planet was 12 episodes long and dealt mainly with adaptation over a wide range of environments that also incorporated more Earth science along with the life science in terms of geology and environments. The Trials of Life was 12 episodes long and all about animal behaviour.
Following these 3 core life series it was time for Attenborough to start a specialisation series and instead of following the 12-13 episode discipline that started with Clark's Civilisations and Bronowski's The Ascent of Man and birthed other great series like Sagan's Cosmos, Attenborough goes for the shorter episode format (both in length and number) of his previous non-life series such as The Tribal Eye, The First Eden and Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives for 6 instalments on an expert theme, Attenborough would undertake the mission impossible of his life series, nature in the Antarctic where there is hardly any life at all, and when it does appear it is under the most excessive kind of conditions imaginable. So much was the task at hand that Attenborough ended up devoting a large segment of the last episode to the making of it. The 6 episodes are mainly about food in the Antarctic sea, breeding, migration due to the frozen sea, freezing and Captain's Scott journey.
While the first two in the life series are very similar The Trials of Life was a little different in that Attenborough had less screen time because animal behaviour needed to be captured discreetly. Life in the Freezer is a welcoming return to form and while Attenborough may appear mostly bracing harsh conditions he often engages wildlife and usually has to do so with a big stick for protection. The other thing is that there is really hardly any life at all there so instead we have to settle with mostly a series of different species of the same genus, there is only whales, seals, sea lions, penguins, some predator birds and the odd protoctist thrown in for good fun, the Antarctic is really mostly devoid of life which makes this series choice all the more remarkable. Still there are some of the most astonishing scenes here, millions, literally millions of penguins crowded virtually along the whole coastline, seals in underwater ice caverns filmed for the first time, penguins braving desert-like ice storms, sea lions fighting, penguins (did I mention them yet?) caring for their young, virtual to the point where the parent's near starvation, it is still utterly compelling viewing, especially the final episode where Attenborough walks us through the tremendous pressures and environments they had to endure to sometimes even get the most basic of shots captured on film, this might have the least amount of wildlife for the life series, but it is arguably his most hazardous and not something just any naturalist could undertake and yet Attenborough did it at 67 years of age!
Movie Review: "Life in the Freezer"!
Summary: 5 Stars
Life in the Freezer is another program in the "life of" series by David Attenborough. This program though, has Alastair Fothergill ("The Blue Planet", "Planet Earth") as the series producer. The two make a very good combination and this is a fantastic documentary.
Although, it has the title Life in the "Freezer" it doesn't cover the Arctic, only Antarctica. The first 5 programs basically cover the environmental changes that take place in a year, as well as what the animals have to do to survive these changes. And in the final program David explains what humans have, are and most likely will do in the future in Antarctica. Also in this final program, are some behind-the-scenes bits showing how some shots were achieved.
As you would expect in an Attenborough documentary, everything is top-notch! The cinematography is amazing, very up-close and personal with the animals really makes you feel as though you're there. The behavior shown is remarkable, (such as the humpbacks bubble-netting for their meals, or a leopard seal coming out of the water for an emperor penguin) and definitely makes you want to watch it again and again. David's narration and on-screen presence is perfect as usual, and as always very enthusiastic.
There aren't really any extras to speak of, but as mentioned earlier, the final program pretty much takes care of that.
Overall this is a wonderful documentary, and is definitely worth every penny, highly recommended!
Movie Review: David Attenborough is unbelievable
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a disc that contains six movies on it, each with a theme that revolves around one season in the Antarctic and what happens during that time to the continent and the animals and birds that live in or on it.
These movies are so realistically and clearly presented that you need a blanket to curl up in while watching Attenborough walk around in freezing Antarctica filming all kinds of creatures - on land, under water and in the air. The guy (and his camera team) are simply unbelievable.
They spent three years filming these scenes. As anyone who has experienced anything colder than freezing can attest to, spending even a few minutes outside on a cold day can be daunting. But to spend all your time in temperatures of 74 below, with winds of upto 120 miles per hour - that is either sheer determination or insanity, or maybe a mix of both.
Whatever, the result is startling movies that are breathtaking, superbly shot, and extremely well-presented. I have watched most of Attenborough's films and they are all top-notch. He is definitely the world's most amazing wildlife and nature filmmaker ever. He presents everything as is, without sentimentality, but with a clear sense of wonder at all the marvels he is depicting. When he speaks and shows you scenes, you feel you are there.
Hands down one of the top three wildlife films I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Absolutely Stunning
Summary: 5 Stars
A real treat for the eyes.
Too bad, I didn't buy it in HD DVD format.
There is a lot of aerial coverage, I would like a bit more ground coverage.
There is only 1 chapter on penguins. the cover is misleading, it should show other life forms as well.
The narrator could be more convincing but where else you would find someone with a degree in nature science, willing to go to south pole and be exceptionally good at communicating thoughts.
But still a must see. I highly recommend it.
Movie Review: Frozen Nature
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always admired documentaries on nature and "Life In The Freezer", narrated by British Naturalist, David Attenborough, is
a sensational perspective describing how wildlife etches out a living in one of the coldest regions on planet earth! From penquins, seals, and to whales, it is truly amazing how such animals have adapted to a world full of ice, freezing cold, and the perils of being exposed to constant chilling temperatures!
This DVD is well worth watching!